Business Essentials Package

What is Business Essentials?

Our most popular package is FSB Business Essentials which includes a whole range of benefits and products designed to make your business fly

What's included?

A suite of legal benefits including a dedicated helpline, bundled insurance products and a range of online information to keep your business safe. Plus a whole range of negotiated benefits to help save you money and win business.

Chris Green's Story

'Within a few weeks of joining we'd taken advantage of FSB’s Online Legal Documents. We started a graduate programme and access to these documents gave us an understanding of the legal side, and has helped us to create a number of processes and procedures.'

Marc Wileman's Story

'When we first took on a member of staff, we used the online legal document template library. FSB does more important stuff than you think it does, there are lots of member benefits, probably more than we actually use.'

How much does FSB membership cost?

We offer three packages to suit your business needs. Joining FSB Connect is free, our Business Essentials package starts at £172.50 in the first year and our specialist Business Creation package has a fixed price of £129.

How to set up an online selling site

Having an online store is a great way to expand your reach globally and increase your customer base. If you don’t have an online store yet, we’ve pulled together our top tips to help you build and drive sales to your website.

Set up your storefront

Your homepage is the first thing your visitors will see, so make sure that you grab their attention. Just because your business is online doesn’t mean that you can’t create a visually appealing storefront.

When a visitor arrives to your homepage, guide them where to go next and use high quality images. Include clear call-to-action buttons such as ‘buy now’ to encourage users to browse and ultimately buy. Be sure to add product widgets that display your most attractive products.

Reward loyal customers

Offer your customers a price discount coupon and get your shoppers psyched to purchase more. By giving them a heads-up about upcoming sales and promotions you can build a loyal base of returning customers. For instance, you can offer 25 per cent off to anyone who signs up to your newsletter, which can drive a significant number of people to your site.

Present your product

It’s important to showcase your product in its best light for your customers. Be sure to take strong images that will look great; you can either hire a professional or create your own. Another way is by creating a short video to show how the product can be styled or how it works. Keep it only to a few seconds so that you don’t lose the interest of your potential customer. Four times as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.

Let customers sing your praise

It’s natural to praise your own product, but it’s even better if a happy customer says it. Did you know that product reviews can improve sales by up to 18 per cent (EConsultancy, 2015)? We would recommend dedicating an entire section to testimonials, either in the form of a positive quote from your customer, or a great review alongside their name and photo. If possible, take it to the next level with a testimonial video. Seeing and hearing customers speak about their personal experience with your brand fosters credibility and builds trust for newcomers.

Get on social media

Social media is a great, budget-friendly way to build your customer base. Research which social media networks your target audience is using, and get active on it! If it’s a visually appealing product, for example, we would recommend using Instagram.

Think about the type of content you will be posting and create a calendar breaking down your topics, and devise a posting schedule of around a minimum of three posts per day. Another great way to use social media is to promote sales and offer discounts exclusive to your followers.

Make yourself accessible

Online shoppers are more likely to buy when they know they can contact you. Offer live-chat support and show your customers that you’re completely accessible to any question they may have. Be sure to highlight how to get in touch with you on your website.

Shipping and return policies

Another way to offer great customer service is clear shipping and a return policy. This can boost your sales since customers like this extra piece of reassurance. Make sure to display this on your homepage. You can consider offering free shipping for purchases over a certain amount.

An online store is great to help establish your brand and increase your fan base. By adding short videos, displaying customer testimonials, offering free shipping over a certain amount and keeping your website clean and up to date, you can enhance your ecommerce platform to help drive traffic towards it.